I just found that a local tailoring shop sells linen suits, single breasted. I asked if I could get it in tan and they said yes. My question is this: how close are they to Palm Beach suits? And if they cant match the color of a PB, how would I go about dying it to match?

Thanks

Mike

Dinerman

11-22-2011, 10:33 AM

Palm Beach fabric came in a variety of colors.

Tomasso

11-22-2011, 10:40 AM

White/cream was probably the most popular color.

Marc Chevalier

11-22-2011, 10:42 AM

My question is this: how close are they to Palm Beach suits?

Depends on how you categorize linen and Palm Beach cloth. If you see linen as a warm-weather suiting fabric, then you'll find it akin to Palm Beach cloth. If you see linen as a smooth-surfaced, wrinkly fabric that's cool to the touch, then you'll notice that it differs from Palm Beach cloth's rougher, less wrinkly, more wooly 'hand'.

Or ... depends on how you categorize suits made of Palm Beach cloth. (There was no such thing as 'Palm Beach suits' per se.) The fact is that Palm Beach cloth suits were designed and made to look like typical suitings of the time. Two-piece, three-piece, single-breasted, double-breasted, notch lapel, peaked lapel, plain back, belted back: all could be had in Palm Beach cloth.